Obama steps into Apple-Samsung battle

The president of the United States, Barack Obama, has stepped into the middle of a patent war to ensure that some of Apple's mobile phones and other devices can still arrive on home soil.

Mr Obama's decision overrides a decision by the International Trade Commission (ITC), which recommended that Apple's iPhone 3GS, 4 and some iPads were infringing on Samsung's patent and so should be banned from entering the US.

It is the first time a president has interfered with a trade dispute since Ronald Reagan in 1987 and ensures that Apple will be able to keep selling the named devices and newer handsets won't be affected as they won't include the chip that is deemed to violate Samsung's patent.

This marks good news for Apple, although it wouldn't affect trade that much as newer devices wouldn't be impacted, but it sends out a message to the ITC.